Prof. Aumann, of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, received the honor shortly after the end of the Sabbath, together with American Prof. Thomas Schelling, for their work on understanding conflict through game theory. Aumann brought his entire extended family to the ceremony, where Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf presented the prize.
The Israeli scholar, the eighth Israeli to win a Nobel prize, moved to Israel in 1956 and is chairman of Hebrew University's Center for Rationality.
Prof. Moshe Aumann, brother of the Nobel Prize Winner, was one of 35 family members who accompanied the Nobel laureate to the ceremony in Stockholm. "The ceremony was so moving and exciting," he told Arutz-7 today, "that even though we talked with each other beforehand about reciting the Rabbinic blessing over seeing a King, I simply forgot to do so; everything was so impressive and overwhelming..."
The extended Aumann family did much walking over the course in Stockholm of the Sabbath. "There is a Jewish community here - not a large one, but vibrant, and in order not to disappoint any of them, we made sure that we would pray in a different place for each of the services. So on Friday night we all took a nice cold walk, and then the next morning somewhere else, etc. We certainly walked a lot." He said that they were treated to a warm reception with the local youth, "with whom we spoke in English, which they know well."
Prof. Aumann explained that the official Nobel Prize ceremony is planned precisely and perfectly, such as when to bow and when to take a step backwards and the like, and that everything must conform to the pre-set standards. For instance, the special "tie and tails uniform" that each of the participants wore is generally borrowed from the Swedes, according to each one's precise measurements. However, Prof. Aumann explained, "we had the clothing checked for Shaatnez - the Biblically-forbidden mixture of wool and linen - and in fact, they were found to be unfit. So we had to order a whole new set from a tailor in Tel Aviv..."
The Nobel laureate's brother emotionally described the excitement of having his brother receive the Prize from the King. Asked why so many family members came for the ceremony, he said, "This is something special with my brother. He loves to have the whole family participate in various occasions; for him, family is something very special."
Almost 1,000 intellectuals and academics submitted to the Royal Swedish Academy of Science a petition to protest the "monstrous" act of awarding the prize to Prof. Israel Aumann. They charged that he is using game theory to "justify the Israeli occupation and the oppression of the Palestinians." They also protest the award to Prof. Schelling, whom they blamed for inspiring American military strategy that includes bombing civilians.
The British newspaper The Guardian stated that Prof. Aumann, in an interview with an American website, said that Israel made a mistake in expelling Jewish residents from the Gaza and northern Samaria regions.
"From a game theory point of view it was a very bad move. But if I didn't study game theory, I would also say the same thing," according to the professor.
"It was a bad move theoretically, because it sends a signal to the other side that if you apply enough pressure, then we will respond in a way that you are applying pressure... It sends the wrong signal," he said. In another interview, he said the Arab-Israeli conflict has been "been going on for at least 80 years and as far as I can see it is going to go on for at least another 80 years. I don't see any end to this one, I'm sorry to say."
Prof. Aumann said that war is not irrational and must be studied "like cancer" in order to defeat it.
The Israeli scholar, the eighth Israeli to win a Nobel prize, moved to Israel in 1956 and is chairman of Hebrew University's Center for Rationality.
Prof. Moshe Aumann, brother of the Nobel Prize Winner, was one of 35 family members who accompanied the Nobel laureate to the ceremony in Stockholm. "The ceremony was so moving and exciting," he told Arutz-7 today, "that even though we talked with each other beforehand about reciting the Rabbinic blessing over seeing a King, I simply forgot to do so; everything was so impressive and overwhelming..."
The extended Aumann family did much walking over the course in Stockholm of the Sabbath. "There is a Jewish community here - not a large one, but vibrant, and in order not to disappoint any of them, we made sure that we would pray in a different place for each of the services. So on Friday night we all took a nice cold walk, and then the next morning somewhere else, etc. We certainly walked a lot." He said that they were treated to a warm reception with the local youth, "with whom we spoke in English, which they know well."
Prof. Aumann explained that the official Nobel Prize ceremony is planned precisely and perfectly, such as when to bow and when to take a step backwards and the like, and that everything must conform to the pre-set standards. For instance, the special "tie and tails uniform" that each of the participants wore is generally borrowed from the Swedes, according to each one's precise measurements. However, Prof. Aumann explained, "we had the clothing checked for Shaatnez - the Biblically-forbidden mixture of wool and linen - and in fact, they were found to be unfit. So we had to order a whole new set from a tailor in Tel Aviv..."
The Nobel laureate's brother emotionally described the excitement of having his brother receive the Prize from the King. Asked why so many family members came for the ceremony, he said, "This is something special with my brother. He loves to have the whole family participate in various occasions; for him, family is something very special."
Almost 1,000 intellectuals and academics submitted to the Royal Swedish Academy of Science a petition to protest the "monstrous" act of awarding the prize to Prof. Israel Aumann. They charged that he is using game theory to "justify the Israeli occupation and the oppression of the Palestinians." They also protest the award to Prof. Schelling, whom they blamed for inspiring American military strategy that includes bombing civilians.
The British newspaper The Guardian stated that Prof. Aumann, in an interview with an American website, said that Israel made a mistake in expelling Jewish residents from the Gaza and northern Samaria regions.
"From a game theory point of view it was a very bad move. But if I didn't study game theory, I would also say the same thing," according to the professor.
"It was a bad move theoretically, because it sends a signal to the other side that if you apply enough pressure, then we will respond in a way that you are applying pressure... It sends the wrong signal," he said. In another interview, he said the Arab-Israeli conflict has been "been going on for at least 80 years and as far as I can see it is going to go on for at least another 80 years. I don't see any end to this one, I'm sorry to say."
Prof. Aumann said that war is not irrational and must be studied "like cancer" in order to defeat it.